Volume 1, Chapter 20: What Are You Pretending For?

"If even you, Yan, were deeply convinced, surely fooling everyone else shouldn't be a problem."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Wen Shiyan parted her lips, and it was a long moment before she spoke. "Are you saying you didn't find any evidence at all?"

How did he dare?

In the grand hall, he had sworn with such certainty that he would present the evidence of Yu Mingyue's crimes, even challenging the Prime Minister's residence and taking a jab at the Crown Prince along the way...

"That's right," Liang Jiang nodded nonchalantly.

Wen Shiyan let out a breath. "Wait, so you weren't even sure from the start that Yu Mingyue was the one who secretly planted the toxic fungi? You figured all of this out by observing during the banquet?"

Liang Jiang shook his head with a laugh. "What are you thinking? Of course not. I was certain it was her the moment she went to Jiqiu Palace to feign goodwill."

He shrugged and continued, "Yu Mingyue's clumsy little schemes are easy to dismantle, and one can even turn the tables on her. But while she isn't clever, she is quite adept at the business of murder and silencing witnesses. She didn't leave a single one behind."

Wen Shiyan scoffed. "Sounds like you quite admire her."

"Is Yan jealous?" Liang Jiang leaned in, pushing his luck.

Wen Shiyan raised her arm to block the space between them. "His Highness is speaking nonsense again. You and I share the friendship of kindred spirits who toast to the moon; even if you marry her as your imperial consort in the future, it has nothing to do with me."

"She is unworthy." Liang Jiang lost interest, grabbed a peanut from the table, peeled it, and tossed it into his mouth.

*Heh.* Wen Shiyan sneered inwardly. When he held beauties in his arms in their previous life, he certainly didn't think they were "unworthy."

Why the charade?

"Since that's the case, you should have told me in advance," she said, steering the topic back.

Liang Jiang stared at her with a sly glint, ignoring the peanut that hit his forehead. "If I had told you beforehand, how would I have seen the way you chose to trust me unconditionally after figuring out the truth?"

Just thinking about the subtle shift in her expression—from sudden realization to the deep sigh of relief—made him feel immensely satisfied.

In her heart, he was that peerless figure of courage and wisdom, the one who would save her from fire and water. That was enough.

Wen Shiyan, unaware of his thoughts, was busy replaying her own reaction in her mind. Was it that obvious?!

Does that mean he has been secretly watching her all this time?

Goosebumps erupted across her arms. Suddenly, another thought struck her. "And when the Crown Prince realizes what happened, how do you intend to deal with him?"

Liang Jiang raised an eyebrow. "Him?"

A loss is a loss. He was almost curious to see the look on the face of the Crown Prince, who had always sailed through life with the wind at his back.

He didn't answer directly, opting instead to echo the riddle Wen Shiyan had posed in the hall. "It is like a game of chess. Just before the black pieces, played second, are about to lose the entire board, a cat knocks the pieces over. The white pieces can only consider themselves unlucky."

Wen Shiyan fell silent.

The black piece was Liang Jiang, the cat was the Emperor, and the white piece was the Crown Prince.

The black piece, seemingly at a disadvantage, had suddenly launched a sweeping attack, threatening the entire board. Then the cat interfered. Everyone thought the white piece had merely been lucky, but in reality, if the game had continued, the black pieces would have been utterly routed. It was Liang Jiang who had gambled with human hearts and ended up having the last laugh.

The board changes in an instant, just like the imperial court.

This was Liang Jiang's signature tactic; how could she have forgotten?

"And the cat?" Wen Shiyan knew this question was crossing the line.

The fleeting moment of desolation Liang Jiang had shown earlier did not seem feigned. If the Emperor was as unaware of Liang Jiang's schemes as everyone else, his actions were clearly biased toward the Crown Prince.

"What about the cat?" The smile in Liang Jiang's eyes was tinged with sharpness.

Seeing him feign ignorance, she was even more certain that the Liang Jiang of this year had not yet become so radicalized as to lose his mind; he still possessed a shred of humanity.

Where there is humanity, there is pain. She was determined to use this blade of familial affection to repeatedly prick the flesh of his heart.

"Two players, one game. Who wins and who loses rests entirely on the whim of the cat. And the cat has already made its choice." Wen Shiyan pretended to be indifferent as she reached for the fruit platter, picking through it until she selected a peanut from the very center. *Snap.* She crushed its fragile shell.

*Liang Jiang, you have been abandoned.*

Just then, the carriage jolted to a stop. The driver shouted and cracked his whip. "Where did this little beast come from? Don't block the road!"

"What's going on?" Liang Jiang asked.

The driver quickly replied, "I don't know where it came from, but a large yellow cat suddenly ran out and blocked our path."

Animals blocking the path—it was an omen that the road was impassable. Most people would just curse and take a detour.

Wen Shiyan looked at Liang Jiang immediately, the two peanuts in her hand rolling into the crevices of the floor. "No..."

A sense of dread filled her heart. Before she could finish the word, she saw the corners of the man's mouth curl into an indelible, wild arrogance.

The expression was all too familiar. The light around her seemed to vanish, as if thousands of ghostly hands from the underworld were gripping her throat. It was nauseating; it was terrifying.

Liang Jiang muttered as if to himself, "In the game of this world, what does a cat amount to? I have never cared."

His face turned cold, and he spoke to the outside, "Drive over it!"

"Yes."

Wen Shiyan wanted to escape—anywhere would do. She couldn't stay in this carriage, but her throat was being constricted, and she couldn't move.

"Meow!"

After the cat's brief, sharp cry, Wen Shiyan felt her blood run backward.

Her ears could no longer hear anything. Her senses were stripped away in an instant, and all her mental strength was focused on suppressing the stinging in her eyes.

What had she been fantasizing about? She was facing Liang Jiang! Where would he find a heart? He had nothing but terrifying desires.

It was her naivety that had stoked Liang Jiang's competitive spirit, indirectly killing that cat.

The carriage stopped again. They had reached the Prince's residence.

Wen Shiyan fought back the urge to vomit, ignoring the surprised looks of the servants, and stumbled into the estate.

Once she locked her door, she had to face the reality of her situation in this lifetime: she might never be able to take her revenge.

Not only were there countless eyes watching her on behalf of Liang Jiang, but Liang Jiang himself was a bottomless abyss; the closer she got, the more she would be consumed.

She had made three attempts, from her own death to being held under house arrest; beyond causing herself severe harm, her impact on Liang Jiang had been negligible.

Leaning against the door, she covered her mouth and nose, helpless tears falling into her fingers. "Mother, Father, your daughter is so useless..."

She only wanted to be an ordinary person—to know a bit of medicine, have two or three friends, and ask for nothing more. Why did heaven make her meet Liang Jiang?

In the study.

Chuishi was stroking the large, fat, yellow cat, asking in confusion, "What's wrong with Physician Wen? Don't tell me she was scared into wetting herself in the hall? Heh, her guts aren't even as big as a cat's."

He had been tormented by her for over half a month; it was about time someone put her in her place!

"Schadenfreude? How about you continue to follow Yan from now on? See if she's a coward or not?"

Liang Jiang was in a good mood, stirring his bowl of white porridge. He had drunk quite a bit of wine tonight, and the banquet food had been nothing but flashy, hollow displays—hardly fit for human consumption.

"No, no, no, Your Highness, please spare me."

Liang Jiang chuckled. He brushed a rich, fragrant sauce over slices of roast duck and pushed the plate away. "Take this to the side chamber. Remember, just knock and leave it at the door."

"Yes."

"Wait." Liang Jiang suddenly pressed his hand down on the edge of the tray.

Chuishi stood up straight immediately. "What is it, Your Highness?"